Comfort meets sophistication in this Panko Crusted Chicken Piccata! With lightly fried, crispy chicken breast and a buttery lemon caper sauce, this classic chicken dinner is simple to prepare and extremely satisfying to eat.
Whether you’re making it for a weeknight dinner or an elegant dinner party, chicken piccata is always a winner.
Crispy Panko Breaded Chicken Piccata
Table of Contents
In this season of life, I usually find myself cooking more out of necessity than pleasure. These kids have to eat, after all (Again?? Yes, again.), and the time between them arriving home from school and a total hangry breakdown seems to be shrinking every week.
So, most nights we’re tossing together a 30 minute meal, something like Easy Pantry Pasta or Pizza Chicken, and attempting to eat it and clean up before basketball practice, swimming lessons, or some other diversion draws us all away from the table and onto the next thing.
It’s not that I hate cooking on these nights. I just don’t really have the time or mental space to enjoy it.
But, oh, when I have even the teeniest bit of extra space to cook? I want to be making this Panko Crusted Chicken Piccata.
This meal is all good vibes. It’s Sinatra crooning through the speakers, a sizzling skillet, butter melting into broth. It’s turning over that first piece of chicken to reveal a perfectly crisped, browned crust.
This Chicken Piccata is pure pleasure to make, and it’s even better to eat. Pair it with garlic green beans and fettuccine for an incredible Italian American meal.
The Keys to Perfect Chicken Piccata
- Double dredge the chicken in both flour and panko breadcrumbs for a crispier crust.
- Butterfly the chicken breasts and pound them to an even thickness for quick and even cooking.
- Make enough sauce. We’ve increased the amount of lemon butter sauce from our original recipe, because we wanted enough to pour over the pasta and whatever veggie side we were having too. Trust us, it’s that good!
- Got picky kids? Just leave the sauce off! They’ll love the crispy chicken cut into strips and served like chicken fingers!
Key ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken breast– Here’s a great instructional for how to butterfly chicken breasts for this recipe.
- Flour– All purpose flour forms the first layer of breading for the chicken.
- Eggs– After getting dunked in flour, the chicken will get a coating of egg so the breadcrumbs have something to stick to.
- Panko breadcrumbs– This Japanese style breadcrumb is extra crunchy! You can substitute regular Italian style breadcrumbs, but your breading won’t be as crisp.
- Olive oil– We fry the chicken in olive oil, but you can also substitute butter or a mix of the two.
- Garlic– No explanation needed here! Garlic makes (almost) every dish better!
- Chicken broth– We keep Better than Bouillon on hand, and use it for all of our broths and soup recipes. We love the lower sodium version.
- Butter– We use unsalted butter, as the sauce really doesn’t need a lot of extra salt.
- Lemon juice– We insist on fresh squeezed for this recipe. The lemon really is the star, and the jarred stuff isn’t the same.
- Capers– These tiny green buds pack a punch of briny tang! It wouldn’t be chicken piccata without them.
How to Make Panko Crusted Chicken Piccata
Prep the chicken. Butterfly the chicken (slice each piece in half widthwise, so they are half as thick as they were to begin with). If the pieces are still uneven (thicker on one part than another), lay them on a cutting board, top with parchment paper, and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound them to an even thickness. Season the chicken breast on both sides with salt and pepper.
Coat the chicken. Place the flour, eggs, and panko in three separate large, shallow bowls. Dredge the chicken breasts in flour on both sides, shake off the excess, then dip in the eggs, and then the breadcrumbs. Place on a tray or cutting board while you finish the remaining chicken.
Cook the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large, sturdy skillet over medium high heat. Add as many of the dredged chicken breasts as you can fit without overlapping, and fry for 2-3 minutes a side or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and chicken breast, adding additional oil if needed.
Make the sauce. When the chicken has been removed, add the garlic to the skillet and cook for just a minute. Add the broth, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom as you go. Allow the broth to simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Lower the heat to medium low and add the butter, stirring until melted. Stir in the capers, lemon juice, and lemon slices, if desired.
Serve. To serve, plate the chicken then spoon the lemon butter sauce over top. Top with lemon slices and fresh parsley.
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
- Leftover chicken piccata should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for up to 5 days.
- You can dredge the chicken up to 8 hours in advance and store it, covered, in the fridge.
- Cooked chicken piccata can be reheated in the oven or in the air fryer. Our preferred method is in the air fryer at 390 degrees for about 7-9 minutes. This crisps it right up!
What to Serve with Chicken Piccata
As mentioned above, chicken piccata pairs wonderfully with fettuccine, but could also work well with linguine, spaghetti, or angel hair pasta.
For veggie sides for chicken piccata, try steamed green beans, air fryer asparagus, or roasted broccoli and cauliflower. You also can’t go wrong with an easy side salad or creamy Caesar salad, to mirror the lemony notes from the dish.
This bright and tangy apple fennel salad would also be a great choice.
More Recipes that Use Panko Breadcrumbs
Not sure what to do with leftover panko breadcrumbs?
Use them up in our Creamy Panko Topped Mac and Cheese, Panko Fried Chicken, or Air Fryer Cod Fish Sandwiches!
More Dinner Party Worthy Dinners
These recipes pull double duty as weeknight meals OR dinner party favorites!
- This Creamy Sundried Tomato Chicken Pasta is a family favorite we come back to over and over again!
- Chicken Margherita is a gorgeously easy dinner that’s especially wonderful in the summer months.
- Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin is the definition of ease, in an elegant 30 minute package.
- We love making these Beef Pinwheels for festive holiday gatherings.
- Steak Pasta with Gorgonzola is another Italian inspired dish that’s always a crowd pleaser.
- And if you love Chicken Piccata, you’ll also want to try our Veal Parmesan!
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Panko Crusted Chicken Piccatta
Ingredients
- 1 ½ – 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast (3-4 breasts)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons capers
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice + A few slices of lemon
- 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Butterfly the chicken (slice each piece in half widthwise, so they are half as thick as they were to begin with). If the pieces are still uneven (thicker on one part than another), lay them on a cutting board, top with parchment paper, and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound them to an even thickness. Season the chicken breast on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place the flour, eggs, and panko in three separate large, shallow bowls. Dredge the chicken breasts in flour on both sides, shake off the excess, then dip in the eggs, and then the breadcrumbs. Place on a tray or cutting board while you finish the remaining chicken.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, sturdy skillet over medium high heat. Add as many of the dredged chicken breasts as you can fit without overlapping, and fry for 2-3 minutes a side or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and chicken breast, adding additional oil if needed.
- When the chicken has been removed, add the garlic to the skillet and cook for just a minute. Add the broth, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom as you go. Allow the broth to simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium low and add the butter, stirring until melted. Stir in the capers, lemon juice, and lemon slices, if desired.
- To serve, plate the chicken then spoon the lemon butter sauce over top. Top with lemon slices and fresh parsley.
Notes
- Reheat leftover chicken piccata in the air fryer at 390 degrees for 5-7 minutes. It will recrisp beautifully!
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